


A Realization Far Too Late

by Flightless_Forests



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Replaced AU, This is an angsty ass au, replacement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 23:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21290069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flightless_Forests/pseuds/Flightless_Forests
Summary: Oreíchalkos is not a real Olympian. He's a glorified robot, a shepherd to the glorious sun, hated by the Pantheon. But what, truly, is his purpose, sitting on Apollo's throne?Artemis demands to know.[Part of an au made by ArtJunkyard on FF.Net!]
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43





	A Realization Far Too Late

Slammed up against the wall, hand against his throat. He didn’t know what to expect, really. He hadn’t known, of course, that Artemis would react to his presence so violently, but this seemed childish, even to him. 

And whilst surprising a brass statue-turned-replacement god was an easy task, this just made him want to clap slowly.

But he didn’t, for he didn’t want to piss her off more.

“The  _ fuck _ is father playing at?” She hissed through her teeth. He resisted the urge to wipe the spittle off of his face. 

“What do you mean?” 

She pushed him up against the wall harder. Her fingers closed around his windpipe. Or they would, anyhow, if he had one. 

“Don’t play the fool with me,  _ Βοσκός.  _ I don’t know your game, but I do know father’s strategies. What is he using a brass automation for? What use do you serve? And  _ why-” _ She narrowed her eyes- “do you dare sit upon  _ his _ throne?”

He’d have shrugged had he not feared the outcome of doing anything of the sort. “Because father-”

“You have _ no _ right to call him that.”

He huffed. “Because  _ Zeus _ said that I must.”

“That’s an idiotic lie, and you know it.”

“It’s not a lie!”

“And what use would believing  _ you _ bring me?”

“I don’t know!”

“Then-” She released her grip on his throat, but he was frozen in place with fear he had not felt before- “I don’t. Simple.”

“What use would me lying have?”

“What use do you have in general?”

He looked down, mumbling something in a low, yet distressed tone. 

“ _ What? _ ”

He looked at her, eyes wide. “I don’t know!”

“How can you ‘not know?’ Do you think I’m an imbecile?”

“No! No, I just-”

“You ‘just’ what?”

“I haven’t been told much-”

“Much?” Her eyes were flames, the coals her anger, which had been festering for decades. “ _ Much? _ And you dare tell me you know  _ nothing? _ ”

“I never said that-”

“You’ve never said  _ shit! _ ”

“I don’t know what you want from me!”

“I want to know why you’re here. I want to know why father has declared you an Olympian, despite you being a faulty, lackluster copy of my brother!”

“...I’m a replacement for him.” It was another low mumble, but he allowed her to hear it.

Her face fell, grief evident. But only for a moment, and her anger quickly grew. “A  _ what?” _

“...Replacement.”

She looked ill, her eyes going wide. She huffed, or made an attempt to, but it came out more a muffled sob. “Whatever.”

“Artemis-”

But she stomped away, and though he could not have seen it, she wiped her burning eyes. 

So this was the reality, she realized. Zeus would not allow Apollo back. 

And she’d have to deal with his brass knock-off, a defective statue that barely bore a resemblance to him.

The thought made her feel hollow. Ill and hollow.

**Author's Note:**

> hhhnnnggg oh gods i am nervous to post this-


End file.
